"Have any of you seen America? I was expecting him to actually be on time to this stupid meeting, seeing as he's the one hosting it." England asked, looking around the conference room. He had noticed the absence from just how quiet the room was, and that there was no one yelling about how they were a hero.

"Non, I have not. Why are you asking? Are you worried about our petite amérique?" France asked teasingly. England was very tempted to do a very ungentlemanly gesture in return. He decided to use ungentlemanly words instead.

"Bugger off, Frog Face. Don't you have anything better to do other than bother me?" England said, not really wanting to deal with the flamboyant Frenchman. Though as the world would have it, it was the biannual, week long conference. All he wanted to do was relax with Flying Mint Bunny and drink a nice cup of tea, but no, he was stuck in some hotel in the middle of Washington D.C., being forced to do paper work.

"Non, not really. Besides, if I'm not talking to you, who else is going to talk to you? After all, you are still the Black Sheep of Europe." France was trying to get under his skin and he knew it. He tried not to let it, but it did, and very soon after, they were arguing. They were also being yelled at by Germany very soon after.

As Germany was in the middle of his lecture, the door burst open and in came Italy.

"Good morning everybody!" Italy was just as cheerful as normal. He was also dragging along a cursing Romano, but that was normal. What wasn't normal was the fact that Italy had an envelope. "I was poking around and I found this cool letter!"

"Italy, you shouldn't go poking around in other people's things." Germany started lecturing Italy. It was too late for him to stop the eager Italian, however, because he had already opened the envelope. It was a strange telegraph, and from the first glance it looked important. It was so intriguing that many of the nations came together in a group to read it.

Dear Daniel Warner;

You have been selected to partake in the Person-

As everyone was crowding around Italy, trying to read the letter, the door burst open again. In came America, along with the smell of McDonald's and an annoying laugh.

"The Hero has arrived!" No one paid him more than a quick glance before going back to reading the letter, as they were all still very curious about what the letter was about. It seemed as if Italy was not bothered by the interruption and just continued on reading while everyone else tried to find where they left off. Just as America was getting annoyed from everyone else ignoring him the cheerful Italian asked a puzzling question.

"America, what's the Personification Project." Italy asked with an innocent turn of the head, and his curl took on the shape of a question mark. "Also America, who is Daniel Warner?" Everyone looked up to America to see what his answer was, but he just confusedly took a gulp of his Diet Coke.

"Bloody hell America. How could you not know about it if you were the one who had it?" England asked, not really sounding that surprised that the younger country didn't know.

"England, dude. I hate to say it, but I've never seen that letter in my life-" America was trying to defend himself before he got cut off by the door busting open once again. Once the countries looked up, they immediately went on guard.

In walked an auburn haired man with red eyes, a build much like America's, and was holding a baseball bat filled with nails. There was also a man with long, light blond hair, also with red eyes, and a build resembling Prussia's. The long blond man was slightly hiding behind the other with a scared look on his face, as he seemed to be looking for someone.

"Allen." America was the most on guard, as he spat out the name like it was made of venom.

"Alfred" Allen said casually, just like he was greeting an old friend.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Alfred asked, shocking many of the other nations in the room with his being serious.

"Well, us 2ps had a meeting here a few hours ago and I forgot a few things. I guess you guys are in a meeting now, so I'll get out of your hair" Allen said, as he turned to walk out of the room.

"Is this letter what you forgot by any chance?" Italy asked, he was just as nice to Allen as he was to anyone else. Allen, much like Alfred, just stood there confusedly.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Oh, so you don't know what the Personification Project is then, do you?" Italy was sad that he was no closer to finding the answer to this question.

Allen looked confused at the mention of the project, but the other man looked as if his worst nightmare just materialized before him.

"Gillen are you okay?" Prussia asked the blond.

"Gilbert." Gillen looked like he was frozen in fear, his voice was horse from disuse. It was as if he hadn't used it in months. If you knew Gillen, then you would know that was probably the case. "Did he just mention the project?"

The fact that Gillen was freely talking about the Personification Project, as if it was a normal thing, got everyone's attention, they leaned closer to hear. The fact that he sounded so broken when he mentioned it just made even the toughest of nation's hearts break a little.

"I, I remember a little of it, but I-" Gillen cut himself off. He pulled on Allen's sleeve and motioned his head to the door. And with that, they left the room, and they left more than a few nations looking after them, worried about what the project did to Gillen, but mostly, about what it did to scar him as much as it did.

~~~~~~~~

There was pain, that's all he could feel, burning hot pain. Stinging. Sharp. Piercing. He should have never agreed to this damn thing, the pain was not worth it. He didn't know if his eyes were open or closed, blinking maybe? It didn't matter to him, all he wanted was for the pain to go away. All at once, he felt nothing, hoping the darkness will free him from the pain.

"Daniel, if you want to be a part of this, you need to be able to stand simple things like getting stabbed and electrocuted. Do I have to remind you, this is just the start" Dr. E said, knowing full well Daniel no longer wanted to be anywhere near that room, near that building, or even in the county. But now he didn't have a choice, he gave up his freedom, he was far too deep to back out now.

"I don't want to be a part of this, I stopped wanting to be a part of this a while ago. Just let me go home to my family. I promise I won't tell anyone, please let me go" The young man said, pleading in almost every way he could at that moment, his voice tired and stained. He would have been on his knees had it not been for the rope keeping him on the chair, keeping him from the freedom he so desperately wanted.

He was crying, bawling really. He was homesick, tired of being away from his mother and siblings. He was in pain once again, then again when was he not. It was worse, so much worse, it was like nothing that the project ever did to him. This wasn't for the project, this is what he got for trying to get out of it. Trying to go against Dr. E. and his cruel and unjust plans.

"Daniel, dear, dear Daniel, what was that about wanting to leave. You have nothing to worry about here, you have food, you have shelter, you have entertainment. Were it not for this project, you and I both know that you wouldn't have lasted another year. But now your family is well cared for, and so are you." Dr. E was talking, Daniel didn't hear much, the pain was just too damn much, his sight going with his hearing.

The pain was gone once again, but this time he started to lose consciousness. His body needed it to be over, and that was the only way it could make it stop, at least for a small while. The last thing he heard before he was out made him want to vomit.

"How will you be the face of the American dream, the face of the war, if you can't even stand the lightest of torture. Don't worry though, you'll get there. By the end of all this, you'll be able to take anything the world throws at you, and you won't even bat an eyelash you'll be so used to it. I'll make sure of it Mr. America."